Covering and stair access for openings in ceilings,roofs and similar wall structures

ABSTRACT

A covering for openings in ceilings, roofs and similar structures comprises a frame adapted to be fitted into the opening with its outer periphery sealed within the opening structure. A cover panel such as a skylight cupola is pivotally mounted adjacent the top of the frame member and it is movable between a closed and a fully opened position to provide either ventilation or access through the frame. The frame also carries a foldable staircase which may be pivoted downwardly and extended outwardly to ground level to permit access through the frame from the ground level to the roof structure. In the closed position, the folded stair assembly forms aligned stair threads which define air flow passages therebetween to permit ventilation through the staircase when the skylight cupola is opened partly. In the folded and closed position, the underside of the staircase is closed by a panel which may be solid or which may be formed as an opened grid or louvre which permits the free flow of air therethrough but which provides a concealment for the staircase when viewed in any position except directly underneath.

1 1 Apr. 30, 1974 United States Patent [191 Frank PrimaryExaminerReinaldo P. Machado Attorney, Agent, or FirmMcGlew & TuttleCOVERING AND STAIR ACCESS FOR OPENINGS IN CEILINGS, ROOFS AND SIMILARWALL STRUCTURES ABS'IRACT A covering for openings in ceilings, roofs andsimilar [75] Inventor: Wilhelm Frank, Leinfelden, Germany [73] Assignee:Wilh. Frank GmbH, Leinfelden,

structures comprises a frame adapted to. be fitted into Germany theopening with its outer periphery sealed within the opening structure. Acover panel such as a skylight cupola is pivotally mounted adjacent thetop of the [22] Filed: Mar. 23, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 127,311

frame member and it is movable between a closed and a fully openedposition to provide either ventilation or [52] US. Cl. [51} Int. [58]Field of roof structure. In the closed position, the folded stairassembly forms aligned stair threads which define air References CitedUNITED STATES PATENTS flow passages therebetween to permit ventilation182/78 through the staircase when the skylight cupola is opened partly.In the folded and closed position, theHoughston............................ 182/81 underslde of the Stalrcaseclosed by a panel whlch FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 2,496,7732,580,978 l/l952 Tri11er........... 3,012,375 12/1961 Wasserman......

may be solid or which may be formed as an opened grid or louvre whichpermits the free flow of air there- 182/81 through butwhich provides aconcealment for the 182/181 staircase when viewed in any position exceptdirectly 8 underneath. France................................. 182/811,273,785 5/1962 Germany 259,760 6/1949 Switzerland... 367,615 4/1963Switzerland... 958,071 9/1949 9 Claims, 23 Drawing Figures PATENTEUAPR30 1914 sum 01 m '13 I ATENTEB APR 30 $874 SHEET 02 0F 13 T ATENTEB APR3 0 M SHEET 08 0F 13 ?ATENTEBAPR3Q m4 3 807.528

saw as (If 13 PATENTED APR 3 0 I974 SHEU 10 0F 13 PATENTEDAPR 30 :974

sum 130F13 I Fig. 23

COVERING AND STAIR ACCESS FOR OPENINGS IN CEILINGS, ROOFS AND SIMILARWALL STRUCTURES SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention relates ingeneral to the construction of covers for roof openings and, inparticular, to a new and useful combined roof cover skylight andventilator and stair access.

The invention relates particularly to a covering for openings inceilings and roofs which is also equipped with a pivoting ladder,staircase or the like, the ceiling opening being coverable or closableat its underside, and the roof opening being closable at least at itsupper side. The task of the invention is to attach the covering orcoverings so that they are easy to open and close and, in particular,when folding stairs are included, that their actuation is harmonizedwith their pivoting motion. The stairs, or the ladder, may either beextendable or unfoldable, or it may be of one-piece construction.

A roof covering of the type described is proposed which, according tothe invention, is characterized in that a top covering or skylight islinked to the opening, or a casing or frame inserted in the opening andwhich is pivotable on the frame, and which also includes a bottom coverwhich is linked to a foldable staircase or to the opening or to a casinginserted therein. The outer covering is flipped open outwardly and theinner one pivoted into the space below it. If connected to stairsaccording to one of the modifications of the invention, the stairs arepivoted together with the cover. This design has the advantage that theentire load on the stairs is transmitted to the ceiling opening or, whena casing or frame is used, it is transmitted through the frame to theceiling around the opening. Therefore, the covering is loaded only byits own weight and, consequently, can be produced of a relatively lightmaterial. If the fastening elements for the stairs penetrate the casingor frame and engage the ceiling opening, the load can, of course, bekept away from the casing and be transmitted directly to the ceiling.

When the stairs and the covering are mounted separately, the coveringneed not be reinforced, but the inner covering must be stronglyconstructed, if the stairs are mounted directly to it and are thuspivoted with it automatically.

In the case of a covering for a hatch to a flat roof, it is veryadvantageous for the ceiling opening to be covered on the outside by apush-open window or a skylight cupola and for the skylight cupola to bepivotable, in particular transversely to the pivot plane of the stairs,and for the covering for the lower end of the ceiling opening to bedesigned in the form of a light diffuser. Undoubtedly, opening theskylight cupola is much easier when it must merely be pivoted to theside rather than over the head backwards or forwards. However, incertain cases, pivoting about an axis parallel to the stair pivotingaxis may be useful also.

So that the stairs are not noticeable from inside the room, the coveringof the lower end of the ceiling opening is designed in the form of alight diffuser when the casing is covered by a skylight cupola. Thisdoes not interfere with the incidence of light and also, frees the viewupwards only when oriented almost vertically up. From the side,therefore, which is when the view is oriented obliquely, the stairs arepractically invisible from below. In addition, the light diffuser bringswith it the advantage of making it possible to ventilate the room,through the opened skylight cupola with the diffuser closed in its upperend position. Transparent or translucent, perforated plates may also beused instead of the light diffuser.

According to another characteristic of the invention, when a coveringwith stairs or the like are operable by means of a toggle leverpositioning linkage and a hoisting mechanism, the toggle lever armconnected to the hoisting mechanism or to the case is penetrated by amember movable back and forth transversely to the formers longitudinalaxis in the formers pivoting plane, or it is connected to a member whichcan be moved past in this direction laterally. The lower end of themember and or of the toggle lever arm rests against a fixed support inthe frame or in the ceiling opening when the end of the stairs islowered to the floor. This involves a positioning device for the stairsor the like, by means of which the resting of the lower stair end of thefloor is obtained even if the floor is not level. The leveling deviceensures that the oblique position of the stairs in their operatingposition is variable to a certain extent. After the stairs are installedand adjusted, this device need not be operated any more.

Another embodiment of the invention provides a safety connection toensure that when there is an outer and an inner covering of the roofopening, and the outer covering is in ventilating position, that theinner covering will not'enter the interior of the room and have thewhole access exposed thereby becoming a safety hazard. Of course,provision must be made in this implementation form for the air to beable to flow through the opening. Full opening the roof batch of thistype would make it impossible to overlook the inner covering especiallywhen the stairs are lowered but a sudden rain would then be able topenetrate the interior of the house. According to the invention, thisembodiment includes and opening linkage which influences the motions ofboth the covering and the stairs at the same time and which connects theouter articulated covering to the stairs pivoting in the frame. Theinner articulated covering which is equipped with openings for thepassage of air, is fastened elastically to the stairs and rests againstthe frame in the end position of the outer covering.

The outer articulated covering can be pivoted on its hinged connectionby a certain angle by engagement through one of the air passageopenings, thereby bringing about the external opening for ventilation.The air can then pass through the air passage openings of the innerarticulated covering resting against the frame. The possible angle towhich the outer articulated covering can be opened depends upon thedistance which the outer articulated covering or the stairs have yet totravel after the elastically mounted inner articulated cover is seated.In this manner, a ventilating position is achieved which is both free ofhazard and largely prevents the penetration of moisture. The stairs maybe designed either to be self-supporting, or they may be attached to abase plate which, in turn, is elastically connected to an additionalplate containing the air passage openings. Where a covering includes aframe or a casing inserted in the hatch opening especially when a push-out window is used, it is divided transverse to the direction ofemergence and includes an inner part supporting the stairs and the likeand the inner covering of the hatch opening, whereas the outer coveringsuch as the pushout window or skylight cupola is linked to the outercasing part. The two casing halves are interconnected by a centeringdevice, in particular bolts or pins. The good fit which is thusachievable may also be obtained by partly telescoping the two parts. Dueto this design, the push-out window has an inclination even when theroof hatch according to the invention is used in connection with a flatroof so that rain water can drain off and snow can slide off. Opening ofthe push-out window is facilitated when the pivot axis of the window islocated lower than the opposite closing side of the window. Moreover,this characteristic merits advantages from both a manufacturing and aninstallation point of view. Since, due to the division of the casing,the total weight of this roof hatch is also divided and this alsofacilitates transportation to and at the building site. The lighterweight parts naturally also are of advantage during installation.

As already explained, the outer covering of the roof hatch openingserves as weather protection to prevent the penetration of cold andrain. The inner covering is assigned two tasks. First, it should hidethe stairs, if present, which is a purely esthetic task, but secondly,it also provides a double seal of the hatch opening in order to reduceheat losses. When both coverings of the hatch covering are open, or thelower one is air permeable, the living area below it communicatesdirectly with the outside air. it can, therefore, as said before, beaired out or ventilated without problems through this hatch opening.Beyond this, this living area can be additionally illuminated or madebrighter by the hatch opening with coverings open.

ln building projects with a flat roof construction there often result,in the interest of rational room configuration, living areas which donot adjoin any outside wall of the building. To bring natural light intosuch living areas it is necessary to build into the roof a so-calledskylight cupola or push-out window. in addition to a flat roof hatch,this skylight cupola is necessary in order to climb onto or use the roofas a terrace. The joint installation of a flat roof hatch and ajuxtaposed skylight cupola naturally causes much expense because'twoindependent components must be built into two separate breakthroughs inthe roof.

Therefore, the invention is based on the further task of avoiding thisdrawback of the known state of the art, and also in providing a cover incombination with collapsible stairs which may be folded into the housingor frame. As a solution, it is proposed, according to the invention, forthe outer covering of a passage opening, designed as roof hatch coveredon the inside and on the outside, to consist at least partly of atransparent or translucent material, whereas the inner one presents atleast one opening for' the passage of light. The outer and the innercoverings of the passage opening is adjustable by a linkage eithertogether or by other hardware fittings. The rungs or steps of the stairsections, in a collapsed condition are preferably aligned vertically soas to be approximately an extension of each other and to thereby permitthe formation of iight shafts upwardly or downwardly. The greater thesepassage openings and the openings of the inner covering, and the moretransparent the outer covering,'the greater is the light penetrationadvantage achievable by the invention. In the extreme case, therefore,both coverings will be manufactured with a narrow frame, and at leastthe unobstructed opening of the outer one will be closed by glass,plastic or a glass substitute.

This results in the essential advantages of the invention; anillumination of the living area, an escape to the flat roof and apossibility of ventilation are created by one single assembly. Theadditinal skylight cupola, otherwise required for illumination, can beobviated, thereby saving costs, materials, labor for installation andthe like.

it is of particular advantage that the outer and the inner covering ofthe hatch are each adjustable by a linkage or by other hardware fittingswhich are commercially available.

The pivot bearings of the stairs resting against and pivotable into theopenings are generally of very simple construction, and they resemble intheir design the pin hinges hardware for doors or piano hinges, exceptthat they are designed much sturdier, of course. Yet their stability inmany cases is insufficient, and they are unable to withstand theoccurring stresses. The flat-lying hinges often bend under the loadexerted on them, thus making it impossible to swing the stairs backproperly.

Since the hardware is mortised into the stairs and in some instancesalso into the stair casing, very wide recesses are necessary withnaturally great weakening of the parts involves.

Another task of the invention at hand consists in re ducing theserecesses and weakened parts to a minimum and in increasing the stabilityof the hardware, virtually without altering its dimensions. To solvethis problem it is proposed, according to the invention, that each pivotbearing of pivoting stairs which are built into an opening to be coveredconsist of two flat rods, disposed on eand and connected by a cross boltand that each flat rod on the stair side be fastened laterally to thevertical side plate or be mortised into the narrow side of the stairside-plate. The moment of resistance of the flat rods is greater whendisposed on edge than when disposed flat as heretofore. Due to thevertical arrangement of the hinges, very shallow grooves for mortising,matching their thickness, are sufficient. When fastening laterally tothe side plate, mortising can be obviated altogether. Moreover, thisarrangement is applicable to all types of pivoting stairs, which meansfoldable as well as extendable pivoting stairs.

It is particularly expedient, when sections of a pivoting staircase areinterconnected by hinged joints, for the twoends of the stair sectionsfacing each other to be equipped with a buckling safety device, the onestair section presenting a notch and the other presenting a tooth, astrip or the like engaging the former in the operating positionof thestairs, and for the tooth and/or the notch to be elastically pivotablein the direction of engagement. As soon as the stairs are completelyunfolded and thus in an operating condition, the tooth or the stripautomatically snaps into the correlated groove or notch. Theadjacentstair sections are thus rigidly connected to each other and thisconnection is disconnectable with a forceful pull. During the snappingin and out motion, the tooth or the strip performs a pivoting motionrelative to the notch and, in addition, at'

the parts interlock with a snapping motion as soon as they are flush.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the upper end ofthe stairs is connected to the ceiling opening or to the stair casingthrough at least one elbow lever which, in the operating position of thestairs, assumes a flat attitude and which is disposed so as to bestaggered in the direction of the return pivoting motion to the side ofthe pivot bearings. The part of the elbow lever fastened to the ceilingopening or to the stair casing is designed in the form of a single armlever and the other one as a duel arm lever. This again involves asafety measure which prevents an unintentional swinging back of theupper stair part or of the entire stairs. It becomes effectiveautomatically as soon as the stairs are in an operating position. One ormore of the elbow levers are used, and when in a flat attitude, theyresist a rotary motion of the stairs, in a closing direction. If it isintended to pivot the stairs back after they have been used, the jointof the elbow lever must be brought out of its unstable position bysuitable means, possibly by hand. As soon as the two arms of the elbowjoint include between theman angle deviating from 180, they can readilybe moved towards each other and, therefore, no longer hinder thepivoting back of the upper stair section or of the retracted orcollapsed stair either. Preferably, the buckling is accomplished so thatthe center of the joint is moved forward and upward.

The leg of the dual armed lever projecting beyond the pivot bearing ofthe elbow lever on the stair side may be utilized as a handle for therelease from the unstable locked position. By moving it towards thestairs, the joint center of the elbow lever will escape upwards.

According to another characteristic of the invention, each support leverof the pivoting stairs is mounted for weight balancing, so as to pivotabout an eccentric bolt, and each eccentric bolt is eccentricallydisposed in a disc mounted in each stair side plate so as to be turnableas well as axially movable and fixable. Each disc is equipped with asurface which is pressable against the stair side plate and whichincludes gripping elements for the side plate. The disc may beroughened, serrated, notched or the like for the formation of thegripping elements. This involves an easily adjustable and installable,cheap to produce and easy to handle adjusting device for the above leverlinkage. The support levers for the folding stairs may have the shape oftwo elbow levers disposed to the side of the stairs. The devicedescribed makes it possible to adjust both the angle between the twoarms of the elbow lever and the stairs, or the ceiling, within a rangepredetermined by the eccentricity. Since the lever linkage isconventionally spring loaded, it is possible, by adjusting theeccentricity and the pivoting of the elbow lever arms resultingtherefrom to load or relax sais spring or springs. The gripping elementsmay be pressed into the usually soft wood of the stairs by tightening anut or by other. means. For readjustment, the pressure nut must beloosened and the disc removed from the stair side plate. To change theadjustment, the disc is subsequently rotated and then pressed againstthe stair side plate by means of the nut or other means. Of course, thegripping elements may also be caused to engage a counterplate at thestair side plate so that impressions in the stair side plate will beavoided.

The staircase, with all its advantageous embodiments, may naturally alsobe inserted into an opening covered neither at its upper nor at itslower end. By the same token, in order to emphasize clearly once more,the push-out window, the skylight cupola, the lower covering or thelight diffuser and the casing with the stairs or the like may each beused separately by themselves.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide an improveddevice for fitting into and covering openings of ceilings, roofs andsimilar structures and which includes a top covering which may, forexample, form a skylight cupola and a foldable staircase which ismounted within the opening in a manner permitting it to be extendeddownwardly to form a ground to ceiling passage.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cov-' ering foropenings in ceilings which includes a frame which is adapted to befitted into the opening and which includes a skylight covering pivotallymounted to the top side of the frame and a staircase mounted in theframe which may be extended downwardly and which when closed forms apassage for air ventilation and wherein the skylight may be opened orclosed with the stairway closed and wherein the bottom'of the staircaseis closed from view by a panel or similar grid structure.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cover structure for aroof opening which includes both top and bottom coverings and whichincludes a staircase mounted within a frame, and which for example, maybe made of an inexpensive lightweight material such as metal and whichincludes side runners of the staircase which are made of U-shapedconstruction to facilitate their being connected to the associatedframestructure and further including a lever mechanism which may beoperated from ground level for facilitating the opening and closing of askylight structure covering the top of the frame for carrying thestaircase and which also includes a louvre or panel cover adapted tomove with the staircase and be held at a spaced location in respectthereto during its operation. and which will close the access opening atthe bottom to provide a louvre for facil-' itating the passage of lightthrough the structure without showing the stairs contained therewithin.

A further object of the invention is to provide a staircase which isadapted to fit in a roof opening and which includes means for lockingthe staircase in a folded position which may be easily unlocked topermit downward folding thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide a combined staircase,skylight cupola and louvre panel finish for a ceiling opening which issimple in design, rugged in construction, and economical to manufacture.

The various features of novelty which characterize the invention arepointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming apart of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention,its operating advantages and specifc objects attained by its uses,reference should be had to the accompanying drawing and descriptivematter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of theinvention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the drawing:

- as an outer covering;

FIG. I is a bottom side perspective view of a roof hatch staircase,fastened to a casing, with a skylight cupola for covering the outer endof the roof opening;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 of another embodiment of acollapsible and pivotable staircase leading to an attic, with a casingsomewhat differently designed, the inner end of the ceiling openingbeing covered;

FIG. 3 is a partial longitudinal section taken along line 3-3 of FIG. Iof a stair side plate and the lower covering;

FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of the locking and unlocking device forthe outer covering;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4'of another unlocking and lockingdevice;

FIG. 6 is a bottom side-perspective viewof a roof hatch with openedouter coverings of another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of an outer covering for thestructure shown in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a vertical cross-section through FIG. 7;

FIGS. 9 and 10 are views according to FIGS. 7 and 8, with the hatchopening closed;

FIG. 11 is a top-perspective view of a spreading mechanism;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 1 of another embodiment ofthe invention;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 1 of still anotherembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 14 is a longitudinal section of a building roof with outer andinner covering according to the embodiment shown in FIG. 12;

FIGS. 15 and 16 are perspective views of two different embodiments of anupper casing half, one with a skylight cupola and the other withpush-open window FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a lower frame for usewith the device of FIGS'. 15 or 16;

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the inventionwith foldable pivoting stairs in an operating position; 1

FIG. 19 is an exploded, perspective view of another embodiment ofadjusting device for the lever linkage;

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to thedrawing in particular, the invention according to FIGS. 1 and 2,includes a device for finishing and covering passage openings withfoldable stairs generally designated 1 pivotable inwardly and outwardlyfrom a folded condition for a roof hatch (FIG. I), or stairs 2 foraccess to an attic (FIG. 2). The stairs I and 2 are pivoted in thecasings or frames 3 and 4, respectively. Fastening elements of thehardware hinges 5 (FIG. 1) and 6 (FIG. 2) penetrate an inner frame orcover and'are anchored in the ceiling cut-out or pas-' sage opening (notshown). The lower portion or lower casing 7 is covered in FIG. 1 by alight diffuser or panel 8 and, in the embodiment of FIG. 2, by a thinpanel 9. In the case of the embodiment of FIG. 1, the upper casing end,or roof frame 10, is closed by means of a skylight cupola 11. The casing4 of FIG. 2 remains open at its top. In the relatively steep openposition shown in FIG. 1, the skylight cupola 11 is supported by a rod12, articulated or pivoted on the frame 10 and on the skylight cupola11.

Since the light diffuser 8 as well as the panel 9 are under the load oftheir won weight only, they may be of relatively weak construction or ofrelatively thin thickness. To be able to align the panels 8 or 9perfectly relative to the lower casing 7, they are suspended from theunderside of the stair side plates 14, 15 by means of bolts or screws 13variable in length. FIG. 3 shows a section of such a stair side plate 14which is made of a metal, in particular aluminum. The profile 15 of theside plate 14 is U-sha'ped. A number of nuts 19, matching the number ofsupporting screws 13, are welded or otherwise attached secure againstrotation to the inside "16 of the lower U leg 17. In both examples(FIGS. 1,

or push down various portions of the panel or of the lower covering,thereby aligning them altogether. A greater or smaller number of screwsthan is evident from FIGS. land 2, may be used, of course.

The skylight cupola 11 in FIG. 1 can be flipped open perpendicular tothe pivoting plane of the stairs 1. By means of the devices 22 on lowerframe 7 and a cupola 11, it is possible to make it assume infinitelymany ventilating positions or'lock'it in a closed position. A firstdesign of the locking and push-open device is pictured in FIG. 4, asecond one in FIG. 5. The device ofFIG. 5 comprises essentially an elbowlever 23 whose one elbow lever arm 25a, attached to the casing or apiece of sheet metal 24 fastened thereto, is designed as a rope pulley,whereas the corresponding lever arm 25 of FIG. 4 is of rod-shape in theusual manner. The pivot pin at the casing side is designated 26 in FIG.4. The pivot pin 26' provides a rotational journal for the rope pulley25a. An outer elbow lever arm 27 is of identical design in both of theforms of FIGS. 4 and 5 and is connected to first arms 25 and 25a,respectively, through a pivot pin 28. The operating mode of both formsisthe same per se, except that the design shown in FIG. 5 can beoperated by means of a rope pull 29, 30 whose ends 30, 32 protrudedownward through the light diffuser 8 or upon appropriate holes in thecovering panel 9. Depending upon-the actuation of ring 33 or 34 in thedirection of arrow 35, or the opposite direction, there is produced arotation to the right or left and, hence, an

opening or closing of the skylight cupola. Various positions are shownin FIG. 4, namely, in solid lines, a first sition drawn in solid lines,represents a beyond-deadcenter" position. In the last mentionedposition, the one elbow joint arm 25 rests against the lower stop 39 oragainst the upper stop 40. The lower stop limits rotary motion in thesense of arrow 41, while the upper stop prevents continued rotation inthe direction of arrow 42. When, in the lower end position shown insolid lines, forces directed outward act against the skylight cupola 11,they merely cause the one elbow lever arm 25 to press against the lowerstop 39. Rotary or pivoting motions of any kind do not take place.Consequently, this provides a securely locked end position. Thesituation is reversed when, in the upper end position, forces orientedfrom the outside to the inside, such as wind pressure, attack theskylight cupola ll. Pushing the skylight cupola shut is not possible dueto the beyond-dead-center position. In order to prevent the skylightcupola from being sucked up and lifted off and also in order to be ableto maintain the various intermediate positions safely, the elbow jointcan be compressed at the pivot pin 28 in a direction perpendicular tothe plane of the drawing, in a manner not detailed. The ventilatingdevice opens only a ventilating gap corresponding approximately to theflat position of the elbow lever. At some times, however, the skylightcupola must be swung back completely for particularly intensiveventilation or else for entering the flat roof. For this reason, theelbow lever connection at the pivot pin 28, or else at the skylightcupola or at the casing must be disconnectable. In the implementationexample, the free arm end 43 of the other elbow lever arm 44 isdetachably coupled with the skylight cupola II. For this purpose, it isequipped with a through hole 45, which engages with a bearing pin 46which is fastened to the skylight cupola and extends transverse to thepivoting plane of the elbow joint. This bearing pin 46 is relativelyshort so that the elbow lever 44, whose pivoting plane liesapproximately in the plane of the drawing (FIG. 4), can be pulled outperpendicular to the plane of the drawing beyond the free pin end,thereby freeing the skylight cupola. Pulling the arm 44 out is madepossible by the existing clearance and by the elasticity of thecomponents The one elbow lever arm 25a is designed in FIG. in the formof a rope pulley or, more exactly, a double rope pulley. Attached ineach groove is the end of a rope pull whose other end leads downward andcan be pulled by means of rings 33, 34 in the direction of arrow 35 oreven oblique thereto. As the two rope pulls are wound in opposing senseon their respective rope pulley, the ring not operated movesautomatically up when the other ring is pulled. Here again, stop pins 39and 40 serve as stops for the rotation of the rope pulleys. Theycooperate with two cams 46, 47 which are attached to he rope pulley andare inclined at an angle relative to each other.

The stairs are linked to the casing by means of an elbow positioninglinkage 38, 49 (FIG. 1). Expressed more precisely. the upper section 50of the stairs, designed in the form of foldable stairs, is connected tothis elbow lever positioning linkage. The two hoisting devices 51 serveto balance the weight. An adjusting device 52 is provided for theprecise adjustment of angle 52a between the longitudinal axis of thestairs and the lower edge of the casing 3. By means of it, the angle 52acan be increased or decreased in order to thus assure firm seating ofthe lower stair end 53 on the floor. The adjusting device 52a consists'of an adjusting screw 54 which penetrates the elbow lever arm 49 andwhose protruding end 55 rests against a pressure plate fastened to anouter lining box 3. Depending upon whether the adjusting screw 54 isbeing screwed in or out, the elbow lever arm 49 moves up or down.

The lowermost stair section 57 can be folded in the direction of arrow58 against the center stair section 59. The latter, in turn, is foldedin the direction of arrow 60 against the upper stair section 50. Thestairs are then swung up in the direction of arrow 61, taking along thecovering, including the light diffuser panel 8. The panel 8 ispreferably plastic-coated on the inside and on the outside or otherwisejoined to or coated with another scratch-resistant and washablematerial.

As shown in FIG. 6, an exterior hinged cover 63 is pivoted in a frame orcasing 62 which is built into a roof (not shown) and forms a skylightcupola. The frame 62 is closed towards the inside by an inner hingedcover 64 formed by a light diffuser. Disposed between the outer hingedcover 63 and the inner one is a self-supporting folding ladder 65,pivoted at 66 in the frame 62. The stairs are connected to the outerhinged cover 63 by an opening linkage so that both parts will open andclose simultaneously. In addition, fluorescent light bulbs 68 areprovided between the outer cover 63 and the inner hinged cover 64 withinthe frame 62.

As FIGS. 9 and 10 show, the two narrow sides 69 and 70. of the innerhinged cover 64 are respectively connected to the ladder 65 by means oftwo extension springs 71 and 72. Fastening of the inner hinged cover 64to the ladder 65 is accomplished so that the hinged cover 64, as may beseen from FIG. 7, rests against the frame 62 before the outer hingedcover 63, or the ladder 65, reach their end position. When the outerhinged cover 63 is pivoted upward or the ladder 65 is pivoted downwardthrough the openings in the inner hinged cover 64, the outer hingedcover 63 will open alright, but the inner hinged cover 64 will remain inits position for the time being, until the extension springs 71 and 72become relaxed. This results in a ventilating position for the outerhinged cover 63 according to FIG. 7. Air can then enter through theopening and penetrate into the living area through the air outletopenings 73 (FIG.

9) of the inner hinged cover 64. Since the cover 64 remains in itsposition during this procedure, no disturbing effect ensues through it.Moreover, due to the small opening angleof the outer hinged cover 63,almost no moisture can enter even during a surprise rain.

The end 75 of thesecond stair section 76 (FIG. 6) resting against thepivoting stair section 74 is equipped with pressure tabs 77 which keepthe inner hinged cover 64, in the unfolded position of the stairs 65, acertain distance away from the pivoting stair section 74. This providesfor the best possible foot freedom when mounting the stairs 65.

A spreading mechanism 84, which is shown in FIG. 1 1, serves for thefixing of the hinged covers 63, 64 and of the stairs 65 in the variouspositions. The spreading mechanism consists of aneccentric disc 79 whichcan be turned by means of a square crank 78 and to which are linked twoclosing rods 80, 80'. These closing rods 80 and 80 engage two hardwarefittings 81 disposed at both sides of frame 62 of FIG. 6. The twohardware fittings 81 have a detent 82 (FIG. 10) for the closed positionof the roof which as shown in FIG. 9, prevents the closing rods 80 frommoving, thereby also preventing the coverings of the roof hatch frommoving in either direction. The second stop 83 serves the ventilatingposition of the outer covering of the roof hatch as shown in FIG. 8.

In FIGS. 12 to 14, the casing 85 is again inserted into the escapeopening 86 of a ceiling 87 ofa building (not shown and supported allaround by blocks 88, 89.

The lower and the inner end 90 of the escape openings,

of the casing 85, can be closed by means of an inner covering in theshape of a flat cover. The outer end 92 of the casing 95 (FIG. 12) isclosable by means of an outer covering again designed in the form of askylight cupola. In FIGS. 13 and 16, the skylight cupola 93 is replacedby a flat roof window 94.

The inner covering or cover 99 of the escape opening is pivoted in thewall 96 of the casing 85 by means of two hinges 15. The inner cover 99can be pivoted in the direction of the arrow 97 (FIG. 12) by means of anot shown linkage designed in the manner of a transom opener. In itsclosed position, the cover with the casing is locked by means of thehardware fitting 98. It consists of a frame 99 and a light diffuser 100.

At the inside of the cover is again fastened an extendable andunfoldable staircase 101. FIG. 12 shows thisstaircase in extendedcondition, whereas the retracted and folded up staircase may beseen inFIG. 14. It consists of three stair sections 102, 103 and 104. Thelength of these individual components and their connection are so chosenthat the rungs or the steps 105 are at least almost flush when theladder is retracted. In the folded conditions of the stairs of FIG. 14,they define channels 106 forthe passage of light. The light diffuser 100consists of fiat strips on edge disposed perpendicular to each other.

lnFlG. 12, the push-open linkage 107 of the inner cover is coupled as tomotion with the link 1080f the outer cover 99. The various levers of thepush-open linkages 107, 108 are so attached to the inner and outercovers and to the casing 85, respectively, and their lengths are sodimensioned that when the inner cover 100 is opened, the outer cover 99opens simultaneously and when the outer cover is fully closed, the innercover is fully closed too. The skylight cupola, too, consists of a frame109 and a dome-shaped insert 110 of glass, plastic .or glass substitute.

In the designs according to FIGS. 13 and to 17, the push-open linkagesfor the outer and inner covers are not coupled to each other as to theirmotion. The push-open linkage 107 is designed in the usualmanner andequipped with a braking device known as such.

The push-open linkage 108 is actuated separately, as mentioned before.The simplest design provides for manual operation. The lever 108, shownschematically in FIG. 13, may be used for ventilating purposes or aspusher for opening'FIG. 16 shows a push-open linkage approximatelyidentical with that shown in FIG. 12.

The outer face area 112 of. the casing shown in FIG. 13 is inclinedrelative to the inner face area 113. During installation, the inner facearea 113 runs parallel to the ceiling 87 so that the outer face area 112and, with it, the push-open window 94 assumes an oblique positionrelative to the flat roof. FIGS. 15 to 17 show a casing composed of twoparts. The lower casing part 114 can be used selectively with the uppercasing part 115 or 116. As already explained, a push-open window 14 ispivoted at the upper casing part 115 and a skylight cupola 13 to theupper casing part 116. Analogous to FIG. 13, the upper casing part ofFIG. 16 may also be provided with face areas 112, 113 in obliqueattitude to each other. Pins, shackles or the like may interconnect thecasing parts 114, I15 and 116 to align them precisely.

In the implementation example of FIG. 18, the pivoting staircase I18,designed in the form of 'a folding ladder, is mounted on the staircasing 119, inserted into a matching opening, not detailed, of aceiling. These stairs are to provide access to the floor above theceiling. As usual, the stair casing is of rectangular shape, and it isclosed by means of a covering 121 when the stairs are folded up andretracted in the direction of arrow 121. In the implementation exampleaccording to FIG. 18, the pivoting stairs 118 consist of the upper stairsection 122, the center stair section 123 and the lower stair section124. Hinges 125 and 125 interconnect the various sections. They providefor the lower stair section 124 to be folded against the center section123 in the direction of arrow 127, while both sections together are thenfolded against the upper stair section 122 in the direction of the arrow128.

The upper stair section 122 is fastened to the stair casing 119 by meansof the pivot bearings 129. At the same time, it is also rigidlyconnected to the covering 121 so that when the folded stairs are pivotedback, the covering 121 is automatically brought into closed positionalso.

FIG; 20 shows one of these pivot bearings I29 in larger scale. Inconstrast to known designs, it is assembled on edge, which is in theposition shown, and it consists of the flat rod on the stair side, theflat rod 131 on the ceiling side, bent to form an angle. The bent leg isdesignated 132. Of course, an angle profile may be used for this purposedirectly. The cross-pin 133 links the two flat bars 130 and 131together. The holes 134 permit the pines 133 to be fastened to theladder, whereas theholes 135 serve the assembly of part 131. As FIG. 18shows, the flat rod 130 on the stair side is mounted laterally to thestair side plate 136, which means that the side plate is weakened by norecesses. On the other hand, the situation is such that for mortisingthe flat rod on the stair side, only a very narrow slot is required inthe stair side plate, in contrast to the bearings of the state of theart which are mounted flush.

As already mentioned, the stair sections 122 and 123 or 123 and 124respectively are hinged together by hinges 125 and 126. When the stairsrest on the floor, they represent a rigid structure, of. course. Butwhen they are pivoted in the direction of arrow 120 in an .unloadedcondition, the parts 123 and 124 of this embodiment will unfold. Suchpivoting may occur, for instance, when the usually built-in weightbalancing device is not adjusted exactly or shifted in the course oftime. Now, in order to avoid such unintentional and also undesirablefolding up of the stair sections, the buckling safety devices accordingto the invention have been provided. They consist of two screwed-onplates 137 and 138, the lower one of which, 137, has a notch 139,engaged by a tooth 140 of the upper plate 138. Accordingly, the lowerstair section 124 c'an fold up against the upper stair section 123 onlywhen the tooth 140 is not arrested (FIG. 21). However, the weight of thelower stair section 124 is not sufficient to pivot the plate end 142withthe tooth 140 in the direction of the arrow 141, thereby causingdisengagement. On the other hand, however, the dimensions and thepenetrat-

1. A covering for roof openings in ceilings, roofs and similarstructures, comprisng a top cover panel closing the upper end of theopening and being pivoted at its one side and being movable about itspivotal connection to close and open the roof openings, a foldablestairs having an upper end pivotally connected within the opening andbeing pivotable upwardly into the opening recess for storage and pivotaldownwardly from its opposite end to lower this end to the ground todefine a stair passage upwardly from the ground to thE top of theceiling or a roof and a panel connected to said stairs and movabletherewith upwardly to close the recess and downwardly to open it, saidpanel and said stairs defining a light passage opening, a frame adaptedto be fitted into the opening with its outer periphery sealed with thestructure surrounding the opening, said top cover panel being pivoted tosaid frame, said foldable stairs having an upper end pivotally connectedto the interior of said frame, said panel being secured directly to andsupported only by said stairs and covering the bottom of said stairs andthe opening when said stairs are in a retracted folded position, saidstairs being made of a metal material particularly aluminum, andincluding side walls of U-shaped construction, having a supporting boltextending through the bottom and a bottom panel secured to said bolt. 2.A covering for roof openings in ceilings, roofs and similar structures,comprising a top cover panel closing the upper end of the opening andbeing pivoted at its one side and being movable about its pivotalconnection to close and open the roof opening, a foldable stairs havingan upper end pivotally connected within the opening and being pivotalupwardly into the opening recess for storage and pivotal downwardly fromits opposite end to lower this end to the ground to define a stairpassage upwardly from the ground to the top of the ceiling or roof and apanel connected to said stairs and movable therewith upwardly to closethe recess and downwardly to open it, said panel and said stairsdefining a light passage opening, a frame adapted to be fitted into theopening with its outer periphery sealed with the structure surroundingthe opening, said top cover panel being pivoted to said frame, saidfoldable stairs having an upper end pivotally connected to the interiorof said frame, said panel being secured directly to an supported only bysaid stairs and covering the bottom of said stairs and the opening whensaid stairs are in a retracted folded position, said top coveringcomprising a window which may be pivoted upwardly and downwardly andwhich is pivotally connected to one side of said frame so that it may beswung upwardly about an axis perpendicular to said stair pivot axis toprovide access through said frame.
 3. A covering for roof openings inceilings, roofs and similar structures, comprising a top cover panelclosing the upper end of the opening and being pivoted at its one sideand being movable about its pivotal connection to close and open theroof opening, a foldable stairs having an upper end pivotally connectedwithin the opening and being pivotal upwardly into the opening recessfor storage and pivotal downwardly from its opposite end to lower thisend to the ground to define a stair passage upwardly from the ground tothe top of the ceiling or roof and a panel connected to said stairs andmovable therewith upwardly to close the recess and downwardly to openit, said panel and said stairs defining a light passage opening, a frameadapted to be fitted into the opening with its outer periphery sealedwith the structure surrounding the opening, said top cover panel beingpivoted to said frame, said foldable stairs having an upper endpivotally connected to the interior of said frame, said panel beingsecured directly to and supported only by said stairs and covering thebottom of said stairs and the opening when said stairs are in aretracted folded position, wherein said top covering comprises askylight cupola, said cupola being pivoted to one side of said frame,and lever means connected to said cupola to raise and lower said cupola,said lever means comprising a rotatable pivot adapted to be operatedfrom ground level, a first lever arm carried on said pivot and beingrotatable therewith, a second lever arm connected to the outer end ofsaid first lever arm and connected to said cupola, said first lever armbeing movable beyond the center of rotation of said pin and said secondlever arm extending upwardly fRom said first lever arm in engagementwith said cupola when in a locked closed position, said first lever armbeing rotatable to an uppermost position beyond dead center extendingupwardly and said second lever arm extending upwardly from said firstlever arm to said cupola in a fully opened and locked position.
 4. Acovering, according to claim 3, wherein said lever mechanism includes arotatable pulleymember adapted to be engaged by a rope from below and alever member articulated to the periphery of said pulley member andextending upwardly and being connected to said cupola.
 5. A covering,according to claim 4, including a stop arranged above and below saidpivot at a location to engage said first lever arm when in a raisedfully opened position and when in a closed locked position.
 6. Acovering, according to claim 3, wherein said bolt may be fixed in anyparticular rotatable position, means for fixing said bolt in a rotatableposition comprising a hand wheel forming the axis of said bolt.
 7. Acovering for roof openings in ceilings, roofs and similar structures,comprising a top cover panel closing the upper end of the openings andbeing pivoted at its one side and being movable about its pivotalconnection to close and open the roof opening, a foldable stairs havingan upper end pivotally connected within the opening and being pivotalupwardly into the opening recess for storage and pivotal downwardly fromits opposite end to lower this end to the ground to define a stairpassage upwardly from the ground to the top of the ceiling or roof and apanel connected to said stairs and movable therewith upwardly to closethe recess and downwardly to open it, said panel and said stairsdefining a light passage opening, a frame adapted to be fitted into theopening with its outer periphery sealed with the structure surroundingthe opening, said top cover panel being pivoted to said frame, saidfoldable stairs having an upper end pivotally connected to the interiorof said frame, said panel being secured directly to and supported onlyby said stairs and covering the bottom of said stairs and the openingwhen said stairs are in a retracted folded position, a lever linkagepivotally connected to said frame and to said stair and includingsetting member (54) arranged in said frame and bearing against saidlever linkage, and positioning one lever of said linkage at apredetermined angular orientation for fixing the angular inclination ofsaid stair when in an opened position.
 8. A covering, according to claim7, wherein said lever linkage includes a first lever arm pivoted at itsinner end to said frame and having an outer end connected to a secondlever arm, said second lever arm extending downwardly to said stairs,said means for fixing the angle of inclination of said lever linkageincluding a member bearing against said first lever arm.
 9. A coveringfor roof openings in ceilings, roofs and similar structures, comprisinga top cover panel closing the upper end of the opening and being pivotedat its one side and being movable about its pivotal connection to closeand open the roof opening, a foldable stairs having an upper endpivotally connected within the opening and being pivotal upwardly intothe opening recess for storage and pivotal downwardly from its oppositeend to lower this end to the ground to define a stair passage upwardlyfrom the ground to the top of the ceiling or roof and a panel connectedto said stairs and movable therewith upwardly to close the recess anddownwardly to open it, said panel and said stairs defining a lightpassage opening, a frame adapted to be fitted into the opening with itsouter periphery sealed with the structure surrounding the opening, saidtop cover panel being pivoted to said frame, said foldable stairs havingan upper end pivotally connected to the interior of said frame, saidpanel being secured directly to and supported only by said stairs andcovering the bottom of said stairs and the opening when said stairs arEin a retracted folded position, said top cover panel being transparentand wherein said foldable stairs include individual sections with steps,the steps of adjacent sections being aligned vertically so as to definea maximum light passage space therebetween, the axis of pivot of saidfoldable stairs being substantially transverse to the axis of pivot ofsaid top cover panel.